If patience had disappeared all over the world, one would surely find it again at a bus station in Paris, from "Parisian Sketches"
Original title: If patience had disappeared all over the world, one would surely find it again at a bus station in Paris, from "Parisian Sketches"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1865, capturing a crowd at a Parisian bus stop. It belongs to his series 'Croquis Parisiens' and was printed as a lithograph on newsprint. The sheet depicts an everyday scene of waiting in the public space of the big city.
Description
The layout is horizontal and gathers a tightly packed group of passengers, women and men in various clothes and headwear. In the left corner a man sits at a counter, apparently in conversation with the waiting people. Several figures have their hands clasped, reinforcing a calm, patient attitude. The image remains in black and white, with even light and no discernible shadows, suggesting an interior. Caricature and humor are typical of Daumier's art.
Context
On February 4, 1865, Honoré Daumier presented this lithograph, part of his 'Croquis Parisiens' series, which accompanied Parisian city life with wit. The series appeared in newspapers, which explains the newsprint support. Daumier was known for socially critical and satirical portrayals of 19th-century daily life. According to Delteil, this is the third state of three.
Impact
The print radiates a calm, almost cheerful mood and treats everyday waiting as a natural part of city life. Daumier's caricatural touch gives the scene a humorous tone without making the figures ridiculous. The dense row of passengers creates a sense of community and social closeness.
Technique
The lithograph was printed by drawing the motif on a stone and then transferring it to paper. Newsprint served as the support, as was usual for publication in a newspaper series. The rendering in gray and black tones reveals the fine linework and graduated shading characteristic of Daumier's prints.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)